Featured – Startups Without Borders Summit

Miriam Mehdi

monikagilmore — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 11:14:29 +0000

I have been with Uber for almost 3 years and currently leading their driver operations for the MENAP region, based out of Dubai. Previously I have worked with Shell and Kansai Paints. I have also had experience of attempt at my own fintech startup (around savings/ROSCA) for close to 2 years in 2016. I had to shelf it due to the regulatory framework of the financial ecosystem in Pakistan. I hold an MA in Social Entrepreneurship from American University, Washington DC' on a Fulbright scholarship and an MBA from National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.

Giovanna D’Esposito

monikagilmore — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 13:00:19 +0000

General Manager for Southern Europe at Uber. Giovanna D’Esposito was born in the Sorrento area, in Southern Italy. She holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Federico II University in Naples, and a Master in Business Administration from INSEAD, France. During her ~30 years of professional experience, she held several corporate and consulting roles in strategy, business development and general management. She started her career in the Manufacturing arm of Procter & Gamble in Rome and, after her MBA, moved to London where she spent 13 years focusing mostly on new business operations and geographical expansion. In 2011 she moved back to Italy where she led the first international expansion of two major online gambling companies, Paddy Power and Sky Bet. Since March 2019 she is the General Manager for Southern Europe at Uber, based in Madrid. She is an advisor to digital start-ups and recently joined La Carica delle 101, whose aim is to foster female entrepreneurship in Italy. She is also a Board member of Mygrants and Sports Information Systems. Giovanna is a member of YPO, the largest worldwide organization of CEOs. Discover the elegance of the panerai submersible mens 47mm pam01039 automatic, a stunning replica watch that combines luxury and precision at an unbeatable price.

Fabio Cannavale

monikagilmore — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 12:45:20 +0000

Founder of lastminute.com and B Heroes. Fabio Cannavale was born and raised in Milan and is the proud father of two boys. Graduated from the Milan Polytechnic in Engineering, he obtained a master's in Business Administration at the INSEAD Business School in France. After completing his studies, he began his career as a consultant, working first in ATKearney and then in McKinsey & Company. Subsequently he co-founded eDreams Italia and then volagratis.com, whose success led to a rapid process of growth, internationalization and acquisitions, until he built the current lastminute.com group, which offers services to over 10 million travelers every year and is listed on the Zurich stock exchange. In 2016 Fabio is a founding partner and member of the board of Endeavor Italia, an international network that supports high-potential companies and promotes their long-term economic growth. 2016 is also the year of birth of the Lastminute Foundation, a foundation that aims to promote cultural and technological innovation in a context of social solidarity. In 2017 Fabio and Lastminute Foundation promoted B Heroes, an innovation hub built around a path of acceleration, mentorship and communication for Italian start-ups, with the aim of encouraging the growth and development of new entrepreneurial realities and bringing attention on the social impact of new businesses. B Heroes is also a television program, the first to bring themes related to innovative entrepreneurship in Italy to the small screen. He is also co-founder of B-Holding, an innovation industrial holding that invests and supports the best business projects in Italy. Fabio is a partner of major Italian Seed Capital firms (Dpixel, H-farm, Club Italia and Digital Magic) and passionately follows emerging startups in Italy. In recent years he has co-founded, invested directly or helped develop segugio.it, Jakala, siamosoci.it, Dentalpro.it and brandonferrari.com.

Mahmoud Hamouda

monikagilmore — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 21:14:48 +0000

Mahmoud Hamouda is a business strategist in the edge strategy team at Dell Technologies. For over 15 years, Hamouda has been helping Dell Technologies’ leadership make informed data-driven decisions. He started his career at Orange Business Services. He moved up the career ladder, adding diverse experience in both technology and business. Hamouda actively supported startups across different industries like strategy, software development, customer acquisition strategies, growth marketing to UX design, and business model innovation.

Maha Abouelenein

monikagilmore — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 20:55:57 +0000

An executive and entrepreneur -- Maha has more than 28 years of global communications experience advising global corporate giants, high growth tech startups, top governments and high net worth individuals. She helps people and brands tell their stories to build and protect their reputations. She is the founder of Organizational Consultants, a strategic communications consulting firm that has offices in the USA and Dubai. She manages the personal brand PR for Gary Vaynerchuk and consults for other high profile individuals and companies. She is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Now Gaming (an esports consulting firm) and is an Executive Coach for PepTalk. Maha has a reputation for delivering results and ability to manage projects from inception to execution with creative, strategic and analytical drive. Raised and educated in the USA to Egyptian parents, she is home in both West and Arab worlds. Maha is all about relationships - building them, nurturing them and serving them. She thrives on storytelling, building scalable campaigns and thought leadership. Maha is calm in a crisis and loves to lead and train teams. She helped some of the worlds largest tech companies launch into the Middle East market from a comms, policy and business development perspective - from Netflix and Udacity to Careem (Uber / Middle East) and much more. She also served as the Head of Global Communications and Public Policy for Google MENA. Maha was the Founding Managing Director of Promoseven Weber Shandwick, setting up 19 PR offices in the Middle East and launched more than 14 mobile networks across the region and Africa while at Orascom Telecom. She supported the largest IPO in the history of Egypt and the largest acquisition in the history of Egypt, both while serving Orascom Telecom and Naguib Sawiris. She built sports marketing programs and strategic partnerships for the Olympics, NASCAR, the NBA, ATP Tennis, Golf and the NFL. She has media trained several Fortune 500 CEOs and high profile executives from Google, Microsoft; YouTube, Mastercard and Netflix among others. As a Communications Coach, she trains individuals on everything from public speaking and storytelling to reputation management and personal branding. She has been named one of the most impactful Egyptians of 2019 and has been nominated as one of Forbes Power women of the Middle East region for 2020. Maha holds a Masters Degree in Communications from Minnesota State University, along with an Undergraduate Degree in International Business and Marketing. Maha serves on the Advisory Board of AllStar.gg, an esports company, and is a Mentor in Residence for TechStars. She is also on the esports Advisory Board for the Special Olympics. She is the host of SavvyTalk, a podcast about all things communications, and resides in Minnesota.

Chris Richmond N’zi

monikagilmore — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 12:22:08 +0000

Chris Richmond N’zi is Founder and CEO of Mygrants, as well as being on the Advisory Board of MUG, Associate Member of ActionAid Italy and Mentor of the Tony Elumelu Foundation. He graduated in International Rights and Diplomacy in Switzerland. From 2010 to 2015 he worked as Strategic Intelligence Analyst for Frontex and as Inspector and then Commissioner for EASO (European Asylum Support Office).

Hoda Mansour

monikagilmore — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 16:57:29 +0000

Head of Business Process Intelligence - EMEA South. Hoda is a highly experienced, creative and self-motivated executive; with nearly 25 years of experience in delivering innovation and driving business value for customers in their respective industries. She worked for leading multinational software companies including SAP, Oracle & Microsoft in regional and global capacities, where she lived and worked in three different continents (Europe, Asia and Africa), which gave her a well-rounded experience in dealing with different cultures, challenges and business models.

Omar Nour

monikagilmore — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 16:19:38 +0000

Nour had an unusual road to becoming a professional athlete. At the age of 29, he weighed in at 105KG – after ripping his suit pants (twice!), he turned his life around by signing up for this first ever triathlon. Just 2 short years later, Nour earned his pro-card and started his professional triathlon career at age 31. Although Nour’s results as an athlete have elevated his profile, his approachable, lighthearted, “larger than life” personality is what makes him a crowd favorite.

In 2017, Nour announced he would be taking a break from triathlon to row across the Atlantic Ocean, with teammate Omar Samra (a mountaineer and polar adventurer).

Following a year of intense preparation, ‘Team O2’ set off on the grueling 3,000 nautical mile crossing, dubbed ‘The World’s Toughest Row’, on 14 December 2017. Their route took them from La Gomera in the Spanish Canary Islands to Nelson’s Dockyard English Harbour, Antigua.

After 9 days of rowing, Team O2’s boat capsized and failed to self-right in Great White Shark hunting territory, approximately 800km off the coast of Africa. The next 12 hours turned into a survival story of epic proportions before Nour and Samra were eventually rescued by a cargo ship.

In May 2018, Nour and Samra announced ‘Beyond the Raging Sea’ – a documentary by globally-renowned director Marco Antonio Orsini which tells the story of their perilous Atlantic crossing attempt and fight for survival. The documentary also raises awareness of the plight of many refugees who are forced to cross bodies of water in a desperate bid for safe refuge.The film was featured in the 71st Cannes Film Festival and world premiered at the 3rd edition of the El Gouna Film Festival in September 2019. It will make its global release in 2020.

Outside of being an athlete and adventurer, Nour has launched his own brand “o.n.” which is synonymous to healthy living and lifestyle, and is an active motivational speaker – passionate about educating and motivating adults and children alike to pursue their dreams. He is also an avid entrepreneur having started numerous companies with his younger brother. Most recently the duo has successfully launched Enduro Supply – a triathlon and sports goods distribution company headquartered in Dubai; and Ventum – the fastest triathlon bicycle in the world, headquartered in Miami.

Nour has a triple major and pre-med degree from The John Hopkins University, and speaks Arabic, French, English and German.

Omar Samra

monikagilmore — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 16:32:07 +0000

Omar Samra is an entrepreneur, adventurer, future astronaut, and motivational speaker. He’s the first Egyptian to summit Everest, the 7 Summits and ski to both the North and South Pole. In 2009, following a career in Investment Banking, Private Equity and an MBA from London Business School, Omar founded Wild Guanabana, one of the region’s leading adventure travel companies where he still serves as CEO.

Subsequently Omar founded a handful of initiatives in the education, environment, and adventure space, as well as a children’s charity in his late wife’s honour. Omar is an Astronaut Candidate with PoSSUM, having undergone various space trainings and served as Vice-Commander of Lunares 3, a 15-day moon-analogue mission conducting research on lunar habitability. In 2017, Omar made three first ascents of Antarctica mountains and named them.

He rowed 1000 km across the Atlantic Ocean before capsizing in a storm. His survival story, which also sheds light on the plight of refugees crossing dangerous seas, was made into a documentary that screened at the Cannes & El Gouna Film Festivals to wide acclaim. Omar is a former Goodwill Ambassador to the UNDP and an honorary ambassador to Nepal.

Jessy El Murr

monikagilmore — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 07:40:12 +0000

Jessy El Murr is a multilingual, independent digital journalist and media consultant with over 18 years of international news experience. A seasoned field journalist and former BBC and Sky News Arabia correspondent, El Murr has acquired and executed several media consulting and training projects for government and private entities across GCC countries including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates and the State of Kuwait. An experienced public speaker, El Murr holds a Master’s degree in Integrated Journalism from Emerson College in Boston, MA and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the American University of Beirut. She is fluent in Arabic, English and has an advanced knowledge in French.